Trap-nest.



S. E. ELLIOTT.

TRAP NEST. APPLIOATIQN FILED APBJ, 1914 1,127,210, Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

A TTOR/VEYS I THE. NORRIS PETERS C0 PHOTC-LITHOY. WASHINGTON. D C.

STEPHEN E. ELLIOTT, OF WEST SALEM, ILLINOIS.

TRAP-NEST.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

Application filed April 1, 1914. Serial No. 828,691.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN E. ELLIOTT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of lVest Salem, in the county of Edwards and State of Illinois, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Trap- Nests, of which the following is a specificati on.

My invention is an improvement in trap' nests, and has for its object to provide a nest of the character specified, so arranged that the entrance of a fowl to the nest will close one entrance and open another, so

that a record may be kept of the various and Fig. 3 is a Section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

The present embodiment of the invention comprises a casing consisting of front and rear walls 1 and 2, and end walls 3 and 3 the said casing being rectangular in cross section, and the bottom is preferably open, as indicated at 4. The casing is closed by a cover plate 5 having a depending continuous flange 6, which fits outside of the upper end of the casing, and the cover may be removed for purposes of cleaning or the like.

The opening 4 of the bottom does not extend from one end of the casing to the other, but a web 7 is left at each end, extending from the adjacent end toward the opposite end, and lugs 8 are provided at the inner end of each web and near the opposite side walls of the casing.

The front wall 1 is provided with openings 9 and 9 the former beingv theentrance. and the latter the exit, and a fan shaped or substantially triangular plate 10 is provided for alternately closingthe door openings. The plate is pivoted to the front wall of the casing by means of a pivot pin or rivet 11, and the door plate is arranged with its large end downward, the said large end being rounded, as shown, and the apex of the plate extends above the pivot pin 11 upon which the plate swings.

A platform 12 is arranged within the casing at the bottom thereof, and the platform is provided at each side with a depending triangular flange 13, the said flanges being of greatest thickness at the center of the platform and gradually decreasing in thickness toward each end. The platform is mounted to swing on a shaft 14, which is arranged transversely of the casing, and suppgrted by the front and rear walls, and the flanges 13 are provided with openings at their apices, through which the shaft 14 passes.

The platform is mounted to swing freely on the shaft 14, and the stops 8 are provided for permitting the downward'movement of the ends of the platform the stops engaging the said ends, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2, to limit the rocking movement of the platform. A box nest 15 is arranged at the end of the platform adjacent to the door opening 9*,and a weight 16 is arranged on the platform at the opposite end.

A door plate 17 is arranged in the casing at the door opening 9, the said plate having a transverse bearing 18 near its upper end and on one face, through which is passed a shaft 19, the shaft being supported by the front and rear walls. The door plate 17 is cut away at the side edge adjacent to the door plate 10, as indicated at 20, to permit the plates 10 and 17 to swing freely past each other, and a stop rod 21 is arranged transversely of the casing above the door plate. to limit the swinging movement of the plate The rod or shaft 21 is adapted for engagement by theoupper end of the door, and consequently limits the swinging movement of the plate 17 to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 8.

Afiexible member 22 is connected at one end to the top of the plate 17 as indicated at 23, and the other end of the flexible member is connected to the adjacent end of the platform, as indicated at 24. A standard 25 extends upwardly from the center of the platform, at the side adjacent to the door plate 10, and the upper end of the standard is tubular, as shown at 26. A coil spring 27 is connected at one end to the platform directly above the shaft 14, and the other end of the spring is connected to the apex of the plate 10, as indicated at 28.

The operation of the improved trap nest is as follows: The weight 16 is suliicient to normally hold the parts in the position of Fig.1. When in this position the door plate 17 is almost horizontal, and near the top of the casing. The door opening 9 is open, the door plate 10 being over the exit 9, and the view of the nest from the door opening 9 is unobstructed. The coil spring 27 will hold the door plate in the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, or in the position indicated in full lines in Fig. 2. When the platform rocks, the upper end of the door plate 10 is swung in the same direction as the platform rocks, The connection between the standard 25 and the apex of the door plate is a yielding connection, and the tubular portion 26 of the standard will cause the upper end of the door platelO to swing when the platform rocks. The hen looking for a nest will look into thedoor opening 9, and will see the nest at the opposite end, the nest being in a retired position, which will attract the hen. The hen enters step-v ping upon the platformand walks toward i out by the opening 9 the nest. Her weight will overbalancelthe platform and will cause it to swing as indicated in Fig. 2. The door plate l0 now swings away from the opening 9 into a position over the opening'9, and the plate 17 swings down into the. position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 so that the hen cannot return toward the opposite end of the'nest. After an egg has been laid the hen Will pass As oo as er weight passes off of the platform, the weight 16 willswing the platform, and will return the parts to the position'of Fig. 1.

In practice, the improved nest is so ar ranged that the dooropening 9 is one yard or compartment and the door opening 9 in the other. A partition 30 maybearranged between the door openings, if desired, as shown in dotted lines in Fig, 3.

' Thus the non-producing fowls, can be weeded from the producing fowls. iQgtthev end of the day, the hensthat have been through the nest will be in the compartment or pen into which the door opening 9? opens, and the non-producers will be in the pen adjacent to the door opening 9. i r

e d ic i ea ily c eane since the entire r o s a cessible when the top i m d- The pen bottom lso assists cleanliness. The nest may be moved from p a to P c a m y he desired, si ee l. o h pa vm tal, he nes may be scalded or otherwise purified, The support 25 and the coil spring 27 will swing the door p 10 h ne er t e pla lform .is"rocke 1,

and the spring act as a leek or se uring deice for ho d ng, t pa t ga ns accidental displacement.

I claim 1. A device of the character specified, comprising a casing having in one sidewall a plurality of door "openingsythe said 2939* mg b ng n oppos te. side o he en er of sa d S de, a e r pl te pirate tethe ont l of he casing het een thedqet p ni gs and mounted oi'sw ng; fr m side to side to altenately close the door openings, a platform extending longitudinally of the casing and pivoted t0 thecasing at the center of th platform, a box nest at one end of the platform, a weight at the opposite end and arranged to overbalance the nest, a support extending upwardly from the center of the platform at the side adjacent to the door plate-andha-vin g a-tuhular hearing at its upper end, a coil spring connected at one end to the platfornrand extending through the bearing at the opposite end, and connected tothe-door plate above its pivotal connection for swinging said plate when the platform is swung, a door plate arranged transversely ofthe casing adjacent to the end of the platform provided with the weight, a pivotal connection between the plate and the casingnear the upper end of the plate, a 'connection'between the upper end of the plate and'the adjacent end of the platform for swinging the said plate into approximately horizontal position when theweijghted end of the platform is depressed,"and for permitting the said plate to swing transversely of the casing between the door openings when the nest end of the platform is depressed, a stop for limiting the swinging movement of the last-named plate to a position transverse to the casing, and stops ateach end of the casing for limiting the downward movement of the adjacent ends of the platform.

2. A device of the character specified, comprising "a casing having in one side wall a plurality of door openings, the said openings being on opposite sides of the center of the said side, a door plate pivoted to the front wall of the casing between the door openings and mounted to swing from side to side to alternately close the door openings, a platform extending longitudinally of the casing and pivoted to'thecasing at the center of the Plat orm, a box ne atone d f the p forin, a weight at the opposite end andarranged to'overba'lance the nest, a support extending upwardly from the center of the platforinl at the side adjacent to the door plate having a tubular bearing at its upper end,"ac'oil spring connected atone end to the platform and extending through the bearing'at the opposite end, and connected to'the door plateabove its pivotal connection for swinging said platewhen the platform is swung, a d r'plate arranged transversely of the casing adjacent to the end of the platform proyided with the weight, a pivotal connection between the, plate and the casing nearthe upper end of the plate, a connection between the upper end of the plate and-the adj'acentend of-the platform for swinging the said plate into apprQXimately horizontal po it on when th weighted en of the p atl' pressedi, end f r perm t ng he aidplate to s ing, transversely of th asing between the door openings when the nest end of the platform is depressed.

3. A device of the character specified, comprising a casing having in one side wall a plurality of door openings, the said openings being on opposite sides of the center of the said side, a door plate pivoted to the front wall of the casing between the door openings and mounted to swin from side to side to alternately close the coor openings, a platform extending longitudinally of the casing and pivoted to the casing at the center of the platform, a boX nest at one end of the platform, a weight at the opposite end and arranged to overbalance the nest, a support extending upwardly from the center of the platform at the side adjacent to the door plate and having a tubular bearing at its upper end, a coil spring connected at one end to the platform and extending through the bearing at the opposite end, and connected to the door plate above its pivotal connection for swinging said plate when the platform is swung, means within the casing for closing the casing between the door openings, and a connection between the said means and the platform for moving the said means into operative position when the nest end of the platform is depressed.

4:. A device of the character specified, comprising a casing having in one side wall a plurality of door openings, the said openings being on opposite sides of the center of the said side, a door plate pivoted to the front wall of the casing between the door openings and mounted to swing from side to side to alternately close the door openings, aplatform extending longitudinally of the casing and pivoted to the casing at the center of the platform, a box nest at one end of the platform, a weight at the opposite end and arranged to overbalance the nest, a support extending upwardly from the center of the platform at the side adjacent to the door plate and having a tubular bearing at its upper end, a coil spring connected at one end to the platform and extending through the bearing at the opposite end, and connected to the door plate above its pivotal connection for swinging said plate when the platform is swung.

5. A device of the character specified, comprising a casing having in one side wall a plurality of door openings, a door plate pivoted to the casing between the door openings and mounted to swing to alternately close the door openings, a platform extending longitudinally of the casing and pivoted intermediate its ends between the door openings, means at one end of the platform for normally overbalancing the said end, and a connection between the platform and the plate for swinging the said plate when the platform is rocked.

STEPHEN E. ELLIOTT.

\Vitnesses ALLEN E. WALKER, MYRTLE CLUT'rnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

